Hands Down
by YouThinkYouNoeMe
Summary: [Finished] When Christian comes to her aid, Lita experiences some unexpected feelings. Characters: Lita, Trish Stratus, Christian, Chris Jericho, Molly
1. Default Chapter

**Hands Down**

**Rating: PG**

**Characters: Lita, Christian, Trish Stratus, Jericho, Molly**

**Disclaimer: All characters are property of WWE and themselves**

**Summary: A short series, taking place in October of 2003. (This was actually written around then as well, I just never got around to posting it here). After Christian comes to Lita's aide, the redhead begins to experience some unexpected feelings...**

**PART 1**

Lita walked briskly through the backstage area, running her hand through her hair. She had no idea what to make out of what had happened only a few minutes earlier in the ring. She was in the ring, getting the crap beat out of her by Molly Holly, Victoria, and that creep Steven Richards, when something that she certainly hadn't expected to happen did. She thought it was all over – her vision was getting darker, and that wasn't just because Molly had placed the belt over top of her head. From the distance she could hear cheers, and when she finally got a chance to see her who her savior was – after he helped her up – she was shocked...  
  
It was Christian.  
  
Christian... she had always seen him as Edge's annoying younger brother, the one who was constantly whining and being a pain in the ass about something. And now, he had saved her from what could have become a very bad situation for her. Lita knew she should be happy that he was nice enough to help her, but she couldn't help but wonder... why? They had never been friends – in fact, they had more or less always been enemies. Why the sudden change of heart? What was even weirder about it was that all this happened only a week after Chris Jericho pulled a similar stunt with the redhead's best friend, Trish Stratus. Shaking her head, Lita told herself not to worry about what had happened so much. He came out and helped her when no one else would, that was all. There was nothing more to it, he was just being a nice guy, that was all... or was it?  
  
"Stop it Red," she warned herself. There was no way in hell that Christian saw anything in her. She didn't know why he cared all of a sudden... or why she found herself caring that he cared. After all, nothing was going to come of it... they weren't friends, they never would be. End of story. She had reacted on instinct when he helped her up in the ring. That looks he But then why did she feel like there was something else there? The way he looked at her, the way he placed his hand on her shoulder and asked if she was alright – what was all of that supposed to mean? And why was it that now, after all the years of bickering and fighting, and pretty much hating his guts, did she suddenly find him to be a little cute? Why did she feel a spark of electricity when he touched her? Ever since her relationship with Matt Hardy soured, Lita had vowed to never fall in love with anyone in the business again. Was one little incident with an old enemy really going to change all that?  
  
Lita sighed, pushing open the door to the Women's Locker Room. She had to get out of the arena. She needed to think. She quietly made her way over to her stuff, grabbing her bags and turning to head out the door.  
  
"Hey, Lita!" she heard a voice call, and she turned to see Trish, her tag team partner for the evening, standing behind her. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I, uh... I think I'm leaving. I'll catch you later Trish," she said, patting the blonde woman on the shoulder before turning to walk away. Trish caught her by the arm, holding fast to her.  
  
"Wait, before you go, I just wanted to ask... what was with Christian tonight?" she asked curiously. This situation with him and Jericho was getting more and more confusing by the minute. They had gone from being total asses to nice – almost sweet and caring – men in a matter of two weeks.  
  
Lita shrugged, "I guess the same thing that's with Jericho." She hesitated a moment, and then spoke again. "Trish, I... can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Sure," the Canadian diva replied. "Ask away."  
  
"Well, I was just wondering," Lita replied, taking a deep breath. "When Chris came out and saved you last week – and when you were talking to him earlier tonight – did you... did you feel anything?" she asked. Trish raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What do you mean did I feel anything?" she responded with a question of her own.  
  
"I just mean, when Jericho touched your face, and when he told you earlier on tonight that he respected you, did that... spark anything? Do you think that maybe there's..."  
  
"Something between us?" Trish finished. Lita shrugged, nodding with a questioning look on her face. "No Li, I don't think there's anything between us. In fact, if you ask me, I'd say those two want something from us. Jericho and Christian haven't exactly been known for going around and being respectful and charitable to women."  
  
"True," Lita agreed sadly. "But," she said, her eyes suddenly lighting up a bit, "Jericho looked really sincere tonight when he was talking to you. I saw the tape, and you looked like you were pretty sincere when you thanked him. Maybe there's..."  
  
"No, Lita, there's nothing. I was sincere when I thanked Chris, but a thank you is all he's going to get from me. As much as I thought it was very sweet of him to come out there last week and help me, I still wouldn't trust him with my car keys, let alone my heart. I wouldn't make a big deal out of it Red... like I said, we must have something they want," Trish explained.  
  
As much as she wanted to believe that Jericho and Christian had some kind of life altering experience that made them turn around and become respectful individuals, she couldn't help but be skeptical of the two of them. Maybe Lita was just more welcoming to the idea because she hadn't been back for that long... she hadn't been around to see Chris put Stacy Keibler in the Walls of Jericho, or to see Christian purposely injure Booker T to regain the Intercontinental Title. The men had given themselves a reputation of being assholes. They could save her ass every single week for the rest of their careers, but Trish wasn't planning on giving them a second glance. And if they really were turning around, that was just too bad... the past can really haunt you sometimes.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Lita said sadly, giving up on the notion that maybe, just maybe, Christian actually liked her.  
  
Without saying goodbye, Lita turned away and continued on towards the locker room door. She would never say so to Trish, but the tiny blonde woman had just crushed her. For some reason, she had found herself hoping that Trish felt something for Chris. Maybe then it wouldn't be so odd for her to be liking Christian either... but Trish didn't like Chris – she didn't feel anything for him whatsoever. As she stepped out of the locker room and pulled the door shut behind her, the redheaded diva sighed. Why did things like this always seem to happen to her? Why did she always end up falling in love with the wrong people, and for the wrong reasons? All the man did was help her up off the ground for Christ's sake... she needed to get a grip. She needed to realize that he was just being a nice guy and, like Trish said, he was probably up to something. What she needed to realize more than anything was that he didn't like her. Now more than ever, Lita felt the need to get out of the arena. She didn't want to be around to see anyone at the moment, especially not Christian. As much as she felt that she owed him a thank you, she just couldn't bear seeing him, not now. She was so confused at what she was feeling. Half of her said to just play it off, that she was crazy for thinking that he would even look twice at her, but then there was that other half – the hopeless romantic side of her, the side that hoped that Christian did what he did not only out of the kindness of his heart, but because he had actual feelings for her. Who was she kidding? That sort of thing only happened in romance novels. She shook her head, picking up her pace as she headed to the back entrance of the arena. She needed to get out of there before she saw him. Just as she reached the door, Lita banged into someone. She looked up, opening her mouth to apologize, when she froze as her eyes met a pair of deep brown ones...  
  
Christian took her by the arm, leading her out the door.


	2. Part 2

**Hands Down**

**Rating: PG**

**Characters: Lita, Christian, Trish Stratus, Jericho, Molly**

**Disclaimer: All characters are property of WWE and themselves**

**Summary: A short series, taking place in October of 2003. (This was actually written around then as well, I just never got around to posting it here). After Christian comes to Lita's aide, the redhead begins to experience some unexpected feelings...**

**PART 2**

Christian looked down at Lita hopefully. He really wanted to talk to her about what happened, but he wasn't sure that she would be willing to hear it. She hadn't exactly had the most welcoming expression on her face when he had helped her up in the ring. In fact, she had pretty much sent him a 'what the hell are you doing?' look. After he left her in the ring, he had rushed back to his locker room, where Chris was waiting to him a replay. As he watched himself on the tape, Christian cringed. He looked so damn awkward out there. The way Chris had made his big save with Trish, it just looked so much better. And while Trish hadn't exactly given him the most thankful look in the world, she seemed much more warming than Lita did to his saving her. He really wanted to strangle Jericho... this was all his idea anyway. He knew he should have never told Chris that he had been thinking that he had feelings for Lita. Jericho didn't even really like Trish, he just thought that he would do his friend a favor by 'showing him a way to get a woman's attention.' The week before, he had instructed Christian to watch closely from the monitor as he ran down to the ring and saved Trish, and then to copy his actions the next week. Christian did it, but he didn't like it one bit. He felt so out of place rushing down and beating up Steve Richards, knowing full well that Jericho had planned everything out with him beforehand. The results were almost the opposite of what the two Canadians wanted. Trish was already being more friendly – at least she appeared to be – but the only time Lita even glanced his way was when she looked at him as though he had three heads.  
  
"Um... you said you wanted to talk to me?" Lita's voice cut through the air, snapping Christian out of his thoughts.  
  
"Yeah, I..." he began tentatively. "I just wanted to, uh, talk about what happened in the ring a few minutes ago." Lita nodded, sitting down on the curb.  
  
"Yeah, I kind of figured that's what you wanted to talk about," she replied.  
  
"Yeah," Christian added, laughing nervously.  
  
Damn it, why did he always get this way around women? He was a grown man, yet he was psychologically stuck in the mind of a 13 year old boy, still being afraid to talk to girls. He shifted awkwardly on his feet, debating on whether or not he should sit down next to her. He didn't want to seem too forward. Breathing in deeply, he cautiously sat down, feeling the goose bumps rise on his skin as his forearm brushed against her bare leg. He glanced over at her, sending her a shy, tiny smile as his eyes met hers. She smiled back for a second, but then her apprehensiveness took over her, and her hazel eyes darted away quickly.  
  
"So," she said, her gaze traveling out into the dark parking lot. Christian glanced over at her again.  
  
"So..."  
  
_Breathe in for luck, breathe in so deep  
The air is blessed, you share with me  
This night is wild, so calm and dull  
These hearts they race from self control  
Your legs are smooth as they graze mine  
We're doing fine, we're doing nothing at all_  
  
"Lita, I," Christian started again, staring out into the starry sky. He had to just say it – he couldn't afford to spend time thinking. If he ever wanted to say what he had to say, he would have to do it right now.  
  
"You..." Lita encouraged.  
  
"Lita, I like you a lot, okay? I never thought it would be that. I mean, all along, I knew that I some kind of feeling that I didn't have for anyone else, but I never would have imagined it being this," he blurted out, feeling the heat flood his cheeks. He didn't even want to know what most likely bright shade of purple his skin was at the moment.  
  
Lita was stunned... Christian's response was exactly was she had hoped for, but that didn't mean it didn't totally shock her. She glanced over at him, her hazel eyes widening slightly. Then, her expression switched to one of a more questioning manner. If what Christian said was true, then Lita had a few questions to ask.  
  
"But, I don't understand. If you liked me, why were you always such an... well, for lack of a better term, an asshole?" she asked.  
  
"I... I don't know really," Christian shrugged. "I guess I just felt like I had to. By the time I finally felt like I had the nerves to say something to you, you were with Matt. I felt like I lost my chance. Besides, you weren't exactly the nicest person in the world to me either you know." Lita lowered her head in shame. He was right... even if he was an ass, she was no Miss Congeniality towards him.  
  
"Okay, so we're both at fault a little. So, I understand about not wanting to interfere with my relationship with Matt, but we haven't been together for awhile. Why did you wait so long to tell me?" she asked, turning to face him. He shrugged again, looking down at his feet. He kept telling himself to look over at her, that making eye contact with her wasn't going to kill him, but for some reason he head seemed to be glued in the position it was in.  
  
"I don't know," he said. "I didn't even want to tell you know... to be honest, it was Chris's idea to do this whole thing." Lita's heart sunk at his words. If he really liked her, wouldn't he be happy or at least relieved to get that off of his chest?  
  
"What? What were you going to do, keep in inside for the rest of your life?" she asked, her tone a mix of hurt and disbelief.  
  
"I don't know Lita!" he cried, making her jump. "I just... I have this thing with rejection. I don't think I could handle pouring my heart out to you only to find that you don't even feel remotely the same way. You know what, just forget it. Forget that I came out and helped you tonight, forget that I said everything I just said... just forget it. It's not a big deal."  
  
"But Christian, you don't know that I don't feel the same," she said softly, keeping her eyes trained on him. "Don't you at least want to know how I feel?"  
  
"I... I'm not sure. I guess that all depends on how," he said, pausing when he finally managed to turn and look at her. He eyed her closely, noticing how she was shivering and hugging herself. It was then that he realized how cold it was outside, and how freezing she must be sitting there in her ring attire, which was a tee shirt and shorts. "Hey, are you okay? You have to be freezing?" he asked suddenly, his mind shifting away from what they were talking about.  
  
"Kinda," she said, sending him a tiny smile. Christian continued to look at her, all of a sudden wishing that he had brought a jacket with him that he could give to her.  
  
"We could, um... go back in if you want. I don't want you to freeze to death on my account," Christian said, laughing quietly. Lita laughed as well, looking down at the paved street before looking back up at him.  
  
"Yeah... it might be best," she agreed, watching him stand. Once he was up on his feet, he extended his hand to her and she accepted it, using his help to stand up.  
  
"Thanks," she said, somewhat timidly. Christian smiled at the near-shyness in her tone. They stood like that for a moment, their fingers still entwined together, Lita suddenly feeling a little less chilly as the heat coming from Christian's body warmed her. Then, she broke away from him, heading to the door. Before she could walk away, Christian grabbed her by the arm.  
  
"Hey, do you think... do you think maybe we could talk again soon?" he asked hopefully. Lita looked up into his brown eyes, and a small smile broke out on her face.  
  
"I think I'd like that," she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before heading to the door again.  
  
As he watched her disappear into the arena, Christian let out a huge sigh. He wasn't sure whether it was in relief, or in nervousness. Things were going to be even more difficult than they were a few minutes ago. At least then all he had done was helped Lita out in the ring... now she knew exactly how he felt about her. He began to feel slightly hopeful as he recalled her saying that he didn't know how she felt about him. Maybe she did feel the same as he did. Then again, she never out and out said it like he did, so maybe she didn't. Sighing again, Christian slowly headed for the door. He was going to have to carefully plan what he was going to say to her the next time they spoke. He couldn't afford to make himself look as dumb as he had tonight. He just couldn't afford to mess up...  
  
His mind – not to mention his heart – depended on it.


	3. Part 3

**PART 3**

-Two Weeks Later-  
Lita walked back to the Women's Locker Room, holding the pack of ice the trainer had given her up against the back of her neck. Damn Molly Holly and her damn little sidekick Gail Kim. It had hurt like a bitch when Gail had hit her with that wrench. She should have known that when Molly drug Terri out to the ring it was to get her to come out there. She knew that Lita couldn't just sit around and watch a woman like Terri, whose in ring skills went as far as a few catfights with Stacy Keibler, get the crap beat out of her. She knew she would rush to the ring to help her, and she knew that Gail Kim would be waiting in the audience. It had been a setup the entire time. When they had given Lita the double DDT in the center of the ring, she had felt a pop in her neck. She didn't think anything was really wrong, but after her surgery she didn't want to take any chances. When she went to the trainer, she was scared to death that the trainer was going to tell her that she'd re-injured her neck, that she was going to have to have another operation, one that would require her to miss even more action. She hadn't been so scared since the last time she had been hurt...  
  
Then Christian showed up.  
  
He practically flew into the room, immediately going to her side. He apologized for not being there to help her, and made sure the trainer had ice for her neck. It was all very cute... but at the same time, it was very odd. Even after the talk they had had a few weeks ago, Lita still wasn't sure what Christian wanted from her. She wanted to believe that he genuinely liked her, but it seemed as though everybody in the company felt that he was up to no good. Lita sighed, thinking back to the telephone conversation she had with Christian's brother Edge a few days ago.  
  
_"I don't know Li," Edge had said uneasily. "Christian's always up to something. You can't be so sure you're not just a part of some scheme he's got brewing up in his head."  
  
"So, you don't think there's any chance that he actually cares about me?" she asked, and Edge swore he heard hopefulness in her voice. He raised an eyebrow at her question... why would she care if Christian liked her or not? She never did before...  
  
"Lita, do you have feelings for him?" he asked suddenly.  
  
"What? I, I... no, I was just wondering, that's all," Lita answered quickly.  
  
"Look, maybe there is something nobody else sees. Maybe he really does care, and he's really trying to turn a new leaf, but I wouldn't count on it. He hasn't given me any reason to trust him, and I'm not going to start just because he helped out one of my friends," Edge said pointedly. Lita sighed, nodding to the phone.  
  
"Okay... thanks Edge."_  
  
Reaching the locker room door, Lita pushed it open and went inside. As she met eyes with Trish, who was sitting down and talking to Ivory, she sent her a small smile. The blonde woman quickly excused herself from Ivory, getting up and heading over to Lita. She took her by the arm, leading her over to the television in the room.  
  
"Um, Trish? What are you doing?" Lita asked, a look of great confusion on her face.  
  
"Well, I saw what happened to you in the ring, and I also saw this," she said, turning the television on and pressing the play button on the VCR. Lita watched intently, watching herself on the screen. It was video footage from when she was in with the trainer a few minutes ago.  
  
"You saw me getting ice for my neck?" she asked, still puzzled. Trish sighed, shaking her head.  
  
"Just shut up and keep watching," Trish instructed. "Now, I know Christian came in to check on you," she said, pausing and pointing at him as he appeared in the room. "But I want you to watch this... just keep your eyes on him the whole time."  
  
Lita still had no idea what in hell Trish was talking about, but she kept watching. She saw nothing about Christian that sparked her eye. Nothing at all... until he turned away from her. There it was... that smirk, the one that was ever present on the man's face when he was up to no good. Why would he make a face like that? Lita's stomach dropped as Trish rewound the tape so they could watch it again. This time, she paused the tape just as Christian gave his little smirk. The redhead looked down at the floor... maybe Christian was just out to get her.  
  
"Oh... wow," was all she could manage to say.  
  
"Lita, I'm sorry. I know you liked him, but I just had to show you this. I don't want you getting hurt," Trish said sympathetically.  
  
"I... I know Trish," Lita replied sadly, hugging herself protectively. Seeing the look of despair on her best friend's face, Trish pulled Lita into a hug.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked, concern gleaming in her brown eyes. Lita gently pushed away from her, nodding.  
  
"Yeah... I'm just going to go take a little walk. I'll be back in a little while," she said, turning away from Trish and walking away. Trish sighed as she watched Lita walk out the door, pulling it shut behind her. These Canadian men were so confusing. As much as she wanted to believe they were being genuine, for Lita's sake, she couldn't shake the feeling that Christian – and Jericho as well – were up to no good.  
  
-In The Hallway-  
Lita locked her gaze on the floor as she walked briskly down the hallway. She didn't want to say anything to Trish, but she still had some hope left inside her that she had a chance with Christian. That smirk didn't necessarily mean he had something big planned for her, did it? Then again, it was Christian... like Edge said, he was almost always up to something. Why would this be any different?  
  
Still, a part of Lita felt like this was different. When they had talked outside the arena a few weeks ago, he had seemed so shy, so sincere in his words. They hadn't talked since then... even though they had agreed they would meet up and discuss everything, neither of them had the nerve to approach the other about it. And all the while, Lita had been waiting for him to come talk to her, and planning what she would say to him. The time never came. What was holding him back? Was he really that scared of how she would react? All of the events concerning them lately made him seem like he really did care...  
  
And then there was that damn smirk.  
  
Even though she was no longer watching the tape, she could see the look on his face as plain as day. So then maybe he didn't like her. Lita was so confused. If that was the case, and Christian really was out to get her, why? Sure, Lita was never all that nice to him, but the two of them hadn't been actual enemies in well over a year. What did she ever do to him to make him want to plot against her? That reminded her of another thing Edge had said during their telephone conversation.  
  
_"The thing you have to understand about Christian is that he doesn't need a reason to be an asshole... he just is one."_  
  
She just didn't understand. Sure, Christian had always seemed to be annoying for no reason, but Lita just didn't think anybody could be that cold to someone that didn't do anything to them first. She thought back to the past, trying to think of a time where she wronged him, a time where she had done something to him that could have given him any provocation to hate her enough to plot something like this. As hard as she tried, she came up with nothing. She had interfered in a few of his matches, given him a few hurricanranas, but that was about it. Why would he – or anyone for that matter – despise her that much? She always tried her hardest to be a nice person, so that things like this didn't happen. As Lita turned the corner, she gasped. Stepping back behind the wall, she peeked out and eyed her discovery, an uneasy feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. Lita's eyes widened as she discovered something that very well could be Christian's reason...  
  
Standing up against the wall, talking to the Canadian man, was none other than Molly Holly.


	4. Part 4

**PART 4**

"Christian?" Lita called, her tone a mix of hurt and disbelief. The Canadian's head snapped in the other direction, his brown eyes widening as he saw her. He pushed Molly away from him, turning to face Lita while shaking his head furiously.  
  
"Lita! This isn't what it looks like, I swear!" he cried, ignoring the look of shock on Molly's face.  
  
"What are you talking about Christian?" the brunette said, staring at him with a puzzled look. Christian turned his gaze back to her for a minute, narrowing his eyes at the Women's Champion in shock.  
  
"Shut up Molly! Lita, please, you have to believe me when I tell you that this is not at all what it looks like," he said again.  
  
Back down the hall, Lita shook her head, biting her lip to prevent it from quivering. They were right. Edge, Trish, all her friends... they were all right about Christian. Just as they had all warned her, he was up to no good. He had to be. Why else would he be in the hallway talking to Molly Holly – the woman Lita had a match with in only a few days – of all people? They had to be in on something. How could she have not seen this coming?  
  
"I-I... I don't believe this," she said disappointedly, turning and walking slowly in the other direction, her head hanging low. Turning back to Molly once more, Christian sent the brunette a furious glare.  
  
"What exactly are you trying to pull?" he questioned, eyeing her angrily. Molly simply shrugged, sending the blonde man an innocent look.  
  
"Christian, I have no idea what you're talking about. I just thought I'd make a friendly conversation and..." she said, trailing off when she noticed that he was no longer there. She turned slightly, watching as he jogged down the hall after the redhead.  
  
"Lita, wait!" he called after her, kicking up his speed a notch and running after her. Even though she was heading down the hall at a rather brisk pace, soon enough, Christian caught up with her. He grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around so that she was facing him.  
  
"Lita, please, let me explain," he said quickly. Lita gazed at him with a look that could only be described as disgust... sheer, utter disgust.  
  
"Explain? You want me to let you explain? I think what I saw back there was explanation enough," she snapped crossly.  
  
Christian frowned at her testy remark. How in hell was he going to make her believe him? His chances of her believing the truth about what had just happened with him and Molly were slim to none. Still, he wasn't planning on giving up without a fight.  
  
"Lita, please, just listen to me, okay? What you saw back there was not at all what it looked like. I know it looked pretty bad, but trust me, it isn't what it seems," he insisted, still holding onto her arm. Lita sent him a look of disbelief.  
  
"Trust you? Sure Christian, I'll trust you... so you weren't just talking to Molly Holly, my opponent at Survivor Series, which I don't think I have to remind you is only a few days away?" she challenged, placing her free hand on her hip.  
  
"No! I mean, yes, I was talking to her, but not voluntarily! She just... she cornered me and started yapping. All I did was stand there," Christian replied truthfully. Looking down at the hand wrapped around her forearm, Lita shook her head, pulling out of the blonde man's grasp.  
  
"Oh yeah, and let me guess... she 'cornered' you so she could talk about me, am I right?" the redhead scoffed, tossing her hair over her shoulder.  
  
"Well... yes," Christian admitted hesitantly. "She... she tried to convince me to turn against you this Sunday. She said she'd make it worth my while."  
  
Lita shook her head again as she switched her gaze to the floor, unable to look at Christian any longer. Boy, for someone who portrayed herself as pure and wholesome, Molly sure was willing to part with a lot of those values in order to keep her title. She should have known...  
  
"Great," she said sarcastically. "Just great. You know, I was actually starting to let myself trust you. I was ignoring all the advice and warnings I was getting to stay away from you, because I actually thought you deserved a chance. I can see now what a mistake that was."  
  
After saying that, Lita turned abruptly, storming away from him. She ignored Christian's calls, and she ignored the voice in her head telling her to turn back, to give him a chance to explain. She blinked away the impending tears before they even got a chance to moisten her hazel eyes. She had to stay strong, to not allow what happened a few minutes earlier bother her. _Just forget about it Red,_ she told herself silently. _Forget about it and move on._ As much as she tried though, she couldn't. Christian had certainly made an impact on her these past few weeks, in ways she'd never imagined he could. Now that she had witnessed the Canadian talking – and most likely plotting – with Molly, bits and pieces of what her friends had told her flashed through Lita's mind.  
  
"Christian's always up to something. You can't be so sure you're not just a part of some scheme he's got brewing up in his head."  
  
"In fact, if you ask me, I'd say those two want something from us. Jericho and Christian haven't exactly been known for going around and being respectful and charitable to women."  
  
Sighing, she decided that they were right. Like most of the people in the world, Christian simply could not be trusted. Lita shook her head, feeling dizzy with all of the emotions swirling around in her mind. Of all the things she was feeling, the one that stuck out in her mind the most, surprisingly, was disappointment. She had thought she'd be angry, incensed even after what she saw, but she wasn't... she was disappointed. She was disappointed in Christian for leading her on, disappointed in Chris Jericho for putting him up to her, and most importantly, disappointed in herself for letting it happen. All of a sudden, her cell phone rang, breaking the young woman's concentration. She pulled out her cell and glanced at the screen, raising an eyebrow curiously when the number was read as Unavailable.  
  
"Hello?" she answered, wondering who was on the other end.  
  
"Lita? Hey, I know it's been awhile, but do you think we could talk?" an all too familiar male voice replied.  
  
Lita pulled the phone away from her ear and glanced at it in shock. Was it really who she thought it was? If it was, what could he possibly want? Of all people in the world to call her...  
  
"Matt?"


	5. Part 5

**Part 5**

Lita walked slowly down the hallway, her head hanging miserably. Tonight had been the worst night in her entire life, no exceptions. When she thought about what had happened, she was kicking herself... she should have seen it coming. When Chris Jericho called her for the Highlight Reel and brought out Matt Hardy, she should have known. She should have known a week ago, when Matt himself called her to explain to her that he was jumping to Raw. She should have known when he told her he was sorry for all he had done in the past, and that he wanted their old relationship back. Matt Hardy could not be trusted, period. She should have been smarter. Matt waltzed down to the ring and acted as though nothing ever happened between them, grabbing her and hugging her tightly. Even when he got down on his knee and told her he had a question to ask her, Lita's mind was screaimg at her the whole time to not even give the idea of being with Matt again a second thought. To think that that sorry excuse for a man would have the nerve to call her selfish.  
  
Lita paused for a minute, hoisting her bag up over her shoulder and blinking back tears. She was just so heartbroken... first Christian, and now Matt all over again? Why were men always out to make a fool out of her, to get a cheap laugh at her expense? The feeling she got in her stomach when Matt jumped off of the apron earlier that night, refusing to be tagged in during their match against Molly and Eric Bischoff, was inexplainable. She knew right then and there that the whole thing was a setup. As if Eric Bischoff pinning her - thus costing Lita her job - wasn't enough, then Matt had to get in the ring, dumping her on national television... for the second time. What an ass that made her look like. She thought back to when she stood in the corner of the ring, watching painfully as Matt glared down at her.  
  
"All you had to do was join V1 on Smackdown," he told her, as if he didn't know how important competing on Raw for the Women's Championship was to her. The idea of going to Smackdown had bikini contest written all over it, and Lita was not about to be turned into a redheaded version of Torrie Wilson. Finally, she heard the three words that hurt her the most.  
  
"We are through!" Matt Hardy's voice bellowed through her head, painfully slicing her heart.  
  
Lita once gain forced the tears back, glancing up as she finally saw the door. It was only down the hall, but it still seemed so far away. To be honest, though, as much as she wanted to get the hell out, she was dreading it at the same time. She wanted, even more than to reach the door, for it to just disappear. Lita wasn't dumb... she knew that once she stepped outside that door, everything was over. Once she left the arena, everything - her career, her relationship, her _life_ - was all over. Glancing down at her bag, her lip quivered as she caught sight of her dog, Mason. Tears finally escaped and slid down her cheeks as she met his tiny eyes, ones that almost looked as though they held sympathy. Christ, even her dog was feeling sorry for her. Then, a thought occurred to her. All of her friends were in the wrestling business. Now that she would be off the road, away from all of them, she would be all alone, with her dog as her only companion. God, how pathetic would that be?  
  
Trish had approached her earlier in the Women's Locker Room while Lita was getting her things together a short while earlier to assure her that their friendship would remain intact, regardless of what happened to her. _"Lita, just because you aren't a WWE employee anymore does not mean you and I aren't going to be friends,"_ she had said. _"You're one of my best friends. I _love _you, and nothing that Eric Bischoff does will change that."_ As confident as Trish had sounded, Lita was afraid that it just wouldn't happen that way. Sure, for a few weeks or so after everyone would call to check up on her, and people would come visit her on their days off, but she knew that soon after, they would forget. It would be just like her neck injury all over again. Once people got the idea that she could make it on her on, they'd forget, leaving her to fade away.  
  
"What am I going to do?" she asked herself.  
  
Never before in her life had she experienced such feelings of despair, nor had she ever felt so lost, out of place. Even with all of the moving she did when she was younger, the constant jumping from place to place, never during all of that time did she feel the way she did now. That was because she had stayed here, in the WWE, long enough to form relationships with people, long enough to get attached to her coworkers and to her job. She didn't think she could ever get over it.  
  
As she continued to silently trudge down the hall, her bag flung over her shoulder, her keys slipped from her grasp, dropping to the floor. On any normal day, she would have simply bent down to pick them up, but because of her day, and the amazing amount of stress she was under, she wanted to scream. All she had done was drop her keys, and she felt like picking them up and chucking them down the hall as hard as she could. Sighing exhaustedly, she leaned down to pick them up. When she grabbed a hold of them, she glanced forward, noticing a pair of feet in front of her. _Great,_ she thought to herself, _I wonder who that could be._ She had been expecting someone like RVD, or Tommy Dreamer, or maybe even Jericho to be standing in front of her, but she knew it was none of those three. She stood slowly, her eyes widening slightly as she discovered who was standing in front of her.  
  
"Christian..."


	6. Part 6

**PART 6**

Lita sat on the bed in Christian's hotel room, crumpling up the already wrinkled tissue in her hand. Her eyes, which still held the traces of tears, scanned the room thouroughly, studying her surroundings. She had already been in the room for well over an hour, yet she still found herself nervously glancing around, her eyes darting about as though she was expecting someone to jump out and attack her. She glanced down at the alarm clock on the nightstand by the bed, and she sighed as she wondered what was taking the blonde man so long. Christian had disappeared nearly fifteen minutes ago when he'd offered to go down to the lobby and get them something to drink. A shaky sigh emitted from the redhead as she clutched her stomach, unable to shake the uneasiness churning there. She couldn't believe how much she had allowed herself to tell Christian.  
  
When the two arrived at his hotel room, the realization of how much she had lost - even though Christian had managed to salvage her job - hit her hard, settling with a thump in the pit of her stomach. The tears - which had been threatening her eyes for hours - fell and the lump in her throat exploded out in a soft cry, and she nearly collapsed to the floor in sobs. Christian had dropped their bags to the floor and led her to the bed, sitting her down before taking a seat next to her. He pulled her to him, hugging her tightly as she cried against him, and he did something she couldn't have seen him _ever_ doing...  
  
He listened.  
  
Christian listened intently as Lita painfully recounted the events of the night through her point of view, her tear-filled recollections of the fiasco ensuing during her match with Matt against Bischoff and Molly damn near breaking the Canadian's heart. Lita couldn't believe how sweet he had been, his kindness and generosity surprising her greatly. Not only did he listen as she explained her situation through choked sobs, but he seemed to genuinely care.  
  
The more Lita sat and thought about it, the more she realized something. All of the people who told her not to trust him, all of her friends that had advised her to stay away from Christian because he was undoubtedly up to no good, were wrong. She could trust him, which was more than she could say for a great deal of the people she worked with. Christian may have done a lot of questionable things in the past, but who hadn't, especially considering the ever-changing environment they lived and worked in? Suddenly, the door opened, and Lita's head snapped in its direction, her breath catching deep in her throat as she saw him standing in the doorway. He slowly made his way towards her, handing over one of the cans of Sprite that was resting in his hands. Lita graciously accepted it, her eyes still locked on him as she popped it open.  
  
"Lita..." he began, placing his drink down on the nightstand. There was no way he'd even be able to open that can right now, let alone drink it. The hesitation in his voice nearly made her melt.  
  
Then, as she sat next to him, staring deeply into his eyes, she saw something, something she hadn't noticed before. After months of trying to figure out what was going on in his mind, she finally found it. He cared about her. She had spent so long searching for something that wasn't there... a catch, or some underlying meaning for why Christian was acting the way he was. She had spent so much time trying to find something lying deep inside those eyes, and she missed the most obvious thing. Looking at him now, she could see it clear as day... he had feelings for her.  
  
"Christian, don't," she said suddenly, pressing a finger to his lips to silence him. Pushing her hand away, Christian shook his head.  
  
"No, Lita... you have to hear me out. You've been avoiding hearing this from me for weeks, and if I don't get it out soon, I'm going to explode," he said, locking eyes with her in a serious gaze.  
  
"Okay," Lita replied, letting her hand drop. "Go ahead. I'm listening."  
  
"Alright," he said, taking a deep, slow breath. He only hoped she couldn't hear the thumping heartbeat that was pounding in his ear. "Lita, I know you and I haven't always been close friends... okay, so we've never been close friends, but I never hated you. In fact, from the day I met you, I had the biggest crush on you. I just... I always felt like you thought I was annoying, a nuisance or something. I never bothered telling you because I got this horrible feeling that you would laugh in my face or something."  
  
"Oh, Christian," she said as he paused to take a breath, a fuzzy feeling replacing the nausea that had once been haunting there.  
  
"I... when you went down with your injury, I thought I finally moved on. But when you came back, so did the feelings... and they were ten times more intense. By this time, I didn't want to just come out and tell you because I thought you'd assume I was nuts. But, damn it... I can't ignore it anymore. I... I think I love you, Lita."  
  
Lita's eyes widened slightly, her hand coming up to her mouth to cover up the fact that it had dropped open. _I think I love you, Lita._ Had those words really just left Christian's lips? She sat there, staring at him in utter disbelief. She had known that he had feelings for her, but for some reason, hearing him admit it was even more shocking than the original revelation.  
  
When she didn't respond, Christian got the message... she didn't feel the same. His head dropping dejectedly, he looked away, fumbling with his hands before standing up. He took off in the direction of the door, not even caring that he was walking out of his own hotel room. He had to get out of there before she saw the huge blush forming on his cheeks, before he had a chance to look her in the eye and completely break down.  
  
"Christian!" Lita called after him, jumping up off the bed. Then, her heart taking over, she blurted out something she thought she would never, ever say to that man. "I love you too!"  
  
Christian stopped dead in his tracks, turning back to face her from the doorway. When he saw the look in her eyes, the love shining brightly in them, he smiled. He extended his arms to her, his grin widening with each step she took in his direction. When she reached him, she through her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his. Christian sighed happily, placing his hands on Lita's waist as she slid her tongue in his mouth. Lita sighed contentedly as well, smiling up at him as she broke the kiss...  
  
She didn't know what the future held, but she was glad she'd have someone to share it with.  
  
_Hands down, this is the best date I can ever remember  
I'll always remember the sound of the stereo,  
The dim of the soft lights, the scent of your hair  
That you twirled in your fingers  
And the time on the clock when we realized it's so late  
And this walk that we shared together  
The streets were wet and the gate was locked  
So I jumped it, and let you in  
And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist  
And you kissed me like you meant it  
And I knew that you meant it  
That you meant it, that you meant it  
And I knew that you meant it, that you meant it  
  
_::The End::

**A/N: Well, that's the last of this series! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it! Hope you enjoyed reading. :)**


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